MCE Continues Testimony At GYEEDA Trial

Mr Nuru Hamidan, Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Asokore Manpong on Wednesday continued his testimony at the trial of Abuga Pele, former National Coordinator of the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA) at the Financial Court.

Abuga Pele Former National Coordinator and Philip Akpeena Assibit, Chief Executive Officer of Goodwill International Group (GIG) have been charged with 19 counts of causing financial loss to the state, defrauding by false pretense, abetting crime, intentionally misapplying public property and dishonestly causing loss to public property.

The two accused persons have pleaded not guilty to the charges. The court admitted Pele to self- recognisance bail while Assibit was granted bail in the sum of GH¢ 2 million with four sureties two to be justified.

Mr Hamidan who continued his testimony on Wednesday said when the NYEP officials met the World Bank (WB) for the funding of the programme they requested for the operational manual of the programme as well as the impact of the programme on beneficiaries.

He said the WB also demanded for Tracer Study to be carried out on beneficiaries as well as those people who have exited the programme. He said some of the WB officials were even sent to Kumasi and saw that the programme was working.

He said, later when the Tracer Study was sent the WB shelved it and asked the NYEP officials to provide more documents on the programme.

Mr Hamidan stated that the NYEP appointed a desk officer to work on new proposals to be sent to the WB but at the time of leaving the GYEEDA in July, 2013 the new proposal was not ready.

He denied knowledge of any document and that he was not involved in the selection and award of contract at the NYEP.

He said what he was aware of was the MOUs between NYEP, GIG and WESCAP where GIG would come up with the proposals and WESCAP would source for the funding programme.

Mr Raymond Bagnabu, Counsel for Assibit during cross examination asked the witness to clarify the time he started working at the NYEP and the time he left, and the persons who served as Minister of Youth and Sports.

Mr Hamidan in answering stated that he worked at the NYEP between 2009 to July, 2013, and the Ministers at the time were Mr Rashid Pelpuo, Madam Akua Sena Dansua, Mr Clement Humando and Mr Elvis Afriyie Ankrah.

He denied claims from Mr Bagnabu that he (Hamidan) had signed document titled, terms work with the first accused. He said he only witnessed the MOU with GIG and the financial agreement with WESCAP.

When asked by Mr Bagnabu again that the then Vice President, Mr John Mahama and Mr Clement Humando at different occasions in 2011 announced that the NYEP had secured the $65 million from the WB.

He said so far as he was aware the world Bank never approved the proposal for the $65 million for the NYEP.